Its funny, I always read about clients being dragged up Everest. I kind of wondered if the use of the word 'dragged' was just a good-natured pun at sherpa support rather than literally dragging...and then I read this about G1/2.

We got reports at base camp the following day of the epic ascent of the two Koreans and their four personal Sherpas. We were told that the Sherpas incorporated a similar style of climb that the Korean lady climber on GI used last summer. The Sherpas would climb high, set up an anchor and then pull up the two climbers by the fixed rope. They would repeat this process slowly gaining elevation. I have not seen this practice in person but several other climbers who were present and had to wait behind the Koreans for up to half an hour each time told me this is common practice with a lot of Korean high altitude climbers.

Has anyone ever seen this happening? Sounds like an incredible amount of effort. Personally, I am skeptical... and I guess by quoting, I might be adding ammo to the HA climbing-bashers but I am curious if anyone has witnessed this??

"You also have to remember that the oxygen levels on the mountain are going to be very different to what they are on land.""

What? any part of the mountain is "land", the only other options are "at sea" or "in the air", you must mean sea-level.

""4. Life Changing ""

maybe, ask Beck Weathers.

"" Once you have defeated Mount Everest,""

BZZZZZTTTT!!! WRONG!!!!. You don't defeat any mountain, much less Everest, you temporarily might make it to the top. It most surely can defeat you if you're not careful.

"" there is nothing that you cannot do.""

BZZZZTTT!!!!! WRONG!!!! The regular route is barely technical. Sure it's a large logistical and physical effort but it doesn't mean you are necessarily a good all round climber, much less you are to the point you can do anything.

""5. Adventure - ""

Okay.

"" it is unlikely that you will get as much of a thrill as you would from climbing the world famous Mount Everest""

wrong

"You will never find another thrill like it, or another adventure that even compares to it.""

LOLZ!!!! way wrong. There's lots of stuff that's more interesting, about the only thing Everest really has going for it is it's the tallest. Not that I'm saying it's a bad objective or unworthy, just that it's not the best.

the real question you have to ask is who's asking this question. If it's a true climber and not someone that became a climber just because they wanted to climb Everest, then the core answer will probably be "because it's there"

radson wrote:Has anyone ever seen this happening? Sounds like an incredible amount of effort. Personally, I am skeptical... and I guess by quoting, I might be adding ammo to the HA climbing-bashers but I am curious if anyone has witnessed this??

I haven't seen that but I saw a very infirm Asian woman getting supported by two Sherpas on that long steep section just before Namche. She was very clearly going in the wrong direction. It made us very uncomfortable not knowing whether to intervene or not.

In a similar vein, we had cha at the Everest Hotel and left in a heavy snowfall. There was a large Japanese group ahead of us. It was very clear that many of them had little experience in moving in snow at any altitude, nevermind 13,000 feet (4,000 M).

It would seem, those that haven't been to that part of the world, have zero concept of what is and what isn't there. In Namche, which is about as civilized as it gets, there is no electricity (ok, some solar to charge the batts on your iPod). A construction project is disconcertingly quiet. Hand saws and hammers.

Nonetheless, who can say what is going on in their minds? Terminal cancer? Peer pressure? Lifetime bucket list? A huge underestimation of the difficulty involved?

These are the highest mountains on earth. Personally, I wouldn't even pay attention to any bashing by people who haven't been there.

I think finding more rare peaks would definitely be more rewarding. I did a big approach and skiied a peak this winter and when i was digging a pit at the top I got passed by a 4 person group. Kind of pooped on my parade. Im sure everest would be fun, just to many people for me.